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Messages - backyardcnc

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1
Finished Screens / Re: TurnSilverBlue.lset screen is black
« on: March 31, 2008, 03:05:09 AM »
Forget my last post, solved the problem. Downloaded again fr 3rd time and install went AOK and all screens work! Sure looks nice!

Bet my lathe makes much nicer chips now............


gerald ::)

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Finished Screens / Re: TurnSilverBlue.lset screen is black
« on: March 31, 2008, 02:54:30 AM »
So what is the "right directory"? I have downloded this screenset for MACH3TURN and the MANUAL/TOOL screens are normal and the AUTO and DIAG screens are mostly black. When I ran the initial file it said that it was corrupted. I downloaded again but still the same. It sure looks nice though and I would really like to get a working version!

Gerald

3
Greg,

In an earlier post you made a screen file OLFlaser.set available for download. I have tried this offline in MACH and I have a question. This screen set has a button AUTO TOOL ZERO but I am unsure of the purpose of this button and it's script. I think I wrongly assumed that it would auto zero the Z but  is not a script as you have included in your post above. Since the LASER ZERO F12 is setup to move the spindle (tool center) to the point that was jogged to using the laser, I am not sure what the purpose of this button is? To be fair, I don't yet have a LASER CROSS HAIR (just bought 2 on ebay) nor do I have a Z zero  set plate yet so I am not actually performing the moves just trying to under stand the logic/scripting. Appreciate your comments. My ultimate goal is to get the LASER CROSSHAIRS and AUTO Z SET working with a new SHUTTLEPRO jog pad that I hope to pick-up tommorrow.

Cheerio
Gerald

4
General Mach Discussion / Re: CANNED G77/G78 LATHE CYCLE HELP??
« on: September 25, 2007, 02:38:38 PM »
Thanks Brian,

I had found this info looking in the macro but after much playing with the macro g77 I just can't get it to do what I think it should do using the parameters as labelled

for example I would expect the following code to turn an outside diameter:  2" in length to .5" in diameter starting with .75" stock and do that in .010 cuts allowing .1 clearance in X and .050 clearance in Z on the retracts with Z 0.0 at the end of the stock away from the chuck and the controller in diamter mode:

G77 X0.5 Z-2.0 F0.5 H0.01 C0.1 Q0.05 K0.0 R0.75 T0.0

It just doesn't do that so I guess  I either am either blind or stupid or the macro doesn't work because I have tried all different combinations of settings to achieve this but just can't make it happen as I feel it should  and that is is turn the diameter towards the chuck from a diameter of .75 down to .5 for a length of 2 inches (ie z=0.0 to -2.0).

Oh well I will keep pluggin I guess or try to find a book on VB to write my own macros to acheive something more like a g71/g70 in FANUC for turning profiles. Can you point me in the right direction as far as writing macro's goes? Am I looking for standard Visual Basic programming info?

Thanks

Gerald

5
General Mach Discussion / CANNED G77/G78 LATHE CYCLE HELP??
« on: September 23, 2007, 04:46:36 PM »
Does anyone have any info on using the canned cycle G77/G78 in MACH3TURN? There is no real info in the MACH DOCS and I am specifically seeking info on what parameter inputs are supported by these macro's. I have tried reading the macro files themselves but I am no programmer and cannot for sure decide what it all means

Appreciate any comments

Gerald

6
General Mach Discussion / SPINDLE CONTROL SUCCESS!!!! FINALLY ;D
« on: September 18, 2007, 09:33:58 PM »
Hi To all,

I haven't been active in this forum but have been a lurker for some time! I have been working on updating the electronics on a small CNC lathe a COLNE 5 which is much like the EMCO Compact 5. Anyway The electronics are old and basically uiseless so I have removed them and have installed a new BOB CAMPBELL breakout COMBI board to controll all the old and new bits. The lathe as supplied had a built in digital tach with a 60 slot index disk on the spindle but after all the reading on the forum I figured that a single slot was the way to go so I spent several frustrating days tring out several sensors and a variety of circuits all of which worked after a fashion but none could acheive accurate and reliable speed readings. So when I was finally at the height of my frustration I thought why not just hook up the factory sensor with the 60slot disk and see what happens. VOILA EURECKA!!! Right out of the gate MACH recognized it as 60slots, and a run of the AUTO-CAL provided complete and accurate spindle control !!! BOY DO I FEEL BETTER NOW. 

Please bear in mind that I have not actually cut any metal or tried any threading yet but just to have total and complete control of the spindle sure makes me feel much better. After days of playing with the single pulse sensor set-up and trying countless MACH confiurations  without success to have it work so easily and perfectly was a great great relief. Now I just need to get another XYLOTEX driver pcb to run the steppers and I will be complete. I have installed new bipolar PACSCI steppers to replace the original unipolar units and tested them with the XYLOTEX driver that runs my router and all works good except or some backlash in the Z axis ballscrew drive!

Anyway to sum up,  if you are have problems making it work KEEP AT IT, things usually work out eventually and it sure feels good when they do!

Cheers

Gerald

7
General Mach Discussion / A Dumb Question?? Maybe
« on: September 04, 2007, 04:25:43 PM »
Hi All,

I have been running MACH3 with good success for some time on a small router with XYLOTEX driver. I am now doing a conversion of a small lathe and to test the mechanicals I used my router driver box to run the new steppers on my lathe. So the odd thing is that if I drive the lathe from MACH3MILL, I can control both X & Z axis normally and all is more or less ok excepting some backlash. However if I run MACH3TURN I cannot control the X axis, Z operates normally but no X movement at all. I have checked the config a dozen times but no luck in finding what I am missing? The motor outputs are all configured the same in mill and turn? What am I not getting here?

Any thoughts or comments appreciated

Gerald  ???

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